When I was 9 or 10 years old I was studying drums with my first drum teacher Ian Self. He was a wonderfull teacher and from what I am told always
started his students playing a swing pulse before a straight 8th feel. Standard fair once you'd gotten to a certain level were charts like 'little brown jug' and 'American patrol' by Glen miller.
I had also taken on the idea of the drums as a supportive instrument aside
from the ocassional four bar break and of course the short breaks in the charts
mentioned above I had never heard a drum solo and was more than happy to
be just an accompanist.
Then one sunny saturday afternoon.......... Somthing happened!!!
whilst at a car boot sale I picked up and purchased a record ( for 40 pence) called 'Glens greatest' it included a few of the tunes i was studying so I thought great! now i'll have somthing to play along to, And rushed of home to listen.
The last track on side one of that album was 'Bugal call rag' featuring a stunning solo by Murice 'mo' Purtill (pictured)
Wow!! what was this?? how do you do that!? I want to do that! I MUST DO THAT!
I wore the grooves out on that record and bounced off to my drum lesson to learn the dark secrets ...or so I thought.
Ian's response to my asking to learn that track was a flat NO, very possibly because at the time I had nothing like the level of technique to even get close to what Mo had played! However I was bitterly dissapointed and set about trying to work it out myself.
In any case the die was cast and I was now totally hooked on drum solos (still am!!)
so with the help of the staff at the now long defunct DRUMPAD in northampton I set about finding out about truly great soloists
like Buddy,Morello,Bonham,Bozzio and many more. Solos became part of my deal if I was in your band when I was younger
I played a solo! gradually though memories of that first miller solo drifted away.
Litterally years and years later whilst sitting with a guitarist friend of mine we were sifting through records and I stumbled upon 'Glens greatest' and put it on.
About half way though the solo my friend commented
"jesus mate no wonder you liked this..... it's your solo!!!!"
there was then much laughter and leg pulling but he had a definate point, there coming through the speakers was pretty much every lick I was currently using despite not having actually heard the record in years and never having gotten close to being able to really play it when I was younger.
This really got me thinking and brought me to the conclusion that listening is the single most important thing any young musician can do.The most important piece of gear you own is your ears.
Listen, Listen and then listen again let yourself soak up the music and the drummers your listening to so that you can identify them without even thinking about it. I really can't stress how important it is.
Over the years i've taken some great instruction from from some truly great people exceptionly talented drummers and teachers all of them.
But when it comes to soloing nowadays ilike to think i got one amazing lesson from Mr Maurice 'mo' Purtill
and all for 40 pence!!!
I don't know about you but to me that sounds like a BARGAIN!!
Take it away Mo!!!!!!!!!!!!!
started his students playing a swing pulse before a straight 8th feel. Standard fair once you'd gotten to a certain level were charts like 'little brown jug' and 'American patrol' by Glen miller.
I had also taken on the idea of the drums as a supportive instrument aside
from the ocassional four bar break and of course the short breaks in the charts
mentioned above I had never heard a drum solo and was more than happy to
be just an accompanist.
Then one sunny saturday afternoon.......... Somthing happened!!!
whilst at a car boot sale I picked up and purchased a record ( for 40 pence) called 'Glens greatest' it included a few of the tunes i was studying so I thought great! now i'll have somthing to play along to, And rushed of home to listen.
The last track on side one of that album was 'Bugal call rag' featuring a stunning solo by Murice 'mo' Purtill (pictured)
Wow!! what was this?? how do you do that!? I want to do that! I MUST DO THAT!
I wore the grooves out on that record and bounced off to my drum lesson to learn the dark secrets ...or so I thought.
Ian's response to my asking to learn that track was a flat NO, very possibly because at the time I had nothing like the level of technique to even get close to what Mo had played! However I was bitterly dissapointed and set about trying to work it out myself.
In any case the die was cast and I was now totally hooked on drum solos (still am!!)
so with the help of the staff at the now long defunct DRUMPAD in northampton I set about finding out about truly great soloists
like Buddy,Morello,Bonham,Bozzio and many more. Solos became part of my deal if I was in your band when I was younger
I played a solo! gradually though memories of that first miller solo drifted away.
Litterally years and years later whilst sitting with a guitarist friend of mine we were sifting through records and I stumbled upon 'Glens greatest' and put it on.
About half way though the solo my friend commented
"jesus mate no wonder you liked this..... it's your solo!!!!"
there was then much laughter and leg pulling but he had a definate point, there coming through the speakers was pretty much every lick I was currently using despite not having actually heard the record in years and never having gotten close to being able to really play it when I was younger.
This really got me thinking and brought me to the conclusion that listening is the single most important thing any young musician can do.The most important piece of gear you own is your ears.
Listen, Listen and then listen again let yourself soak up the music and the drummers your listening to so that you can identify them without even thinking about it. I really can't stress how important it is.
Over the years i've taken some great instruction from from some truly great people exceptionly talented drummers and teachers all of them.
But when it comes to soloing nowadays ilike to think i got one amazing lesson from Mr Maurice 'mo' Purtill
and all for 40 pence!!!
I don't know about you but to me that sounds like a BARGAIN!!
Take it away Mo!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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